Mosque Opposition

Say NO to Mosque at 2812Voorhies Avenue!Why?

We anticipate problems with the following:

1) Parking. It is already extremely difficult to find street parking in the neighborhood. Not every private residence has a garage and most apartment buildings do not provide enough spaces for their residents. We also have other factors contributing to lack of parking spots:a. The neighborhood has no alternate street parking, therefore tempting used car dealers and people going on long trips to leave their cars parked in the neighborhood.b. There is not enough parking to accommodate Emmons Avenue restaurant, shopping and boating patrons, resulting in excessive automobiles spilling out into adjoining streets.c. PS 52, located less than a block away from 2812 Voorhies enforces parking limitations on school days, which leaves parents looking for parking for student drop off and pick up.

2) Traffic. Our neighborhood experienced significant automobile traffic increase in the last decade. We had substantial increase in vehicular accidents with three incidents in one month just feet from the new construction. There were several fatalities: at the school crossing and on Avenue Z. This traffic problem can be attributed to some of the issues listed in Paragraph 1, as well as the following:a. Population grows due to older one family houses being replaced by 3-4 family condos.b. New restaurants and stores on Emmons Avenue.c. People taking local streets to avoid Belt Parkway traffic.d. School buses coming and going at PS 52.

3) Noise. All of the issues mentioned in Paragraphs 1 and 2 made the neighborhood awfully polluted by noise. Between constant construction, kids going to and from school and increased traffic, the area is becoming very noisy. Call to prayer 5 times a day, and students anticipated at the new site will greatly contribute to the problem.

4) Neighborhood character. The site of the new construction used to be a private residence where an elderly couple lived for many years. Replacing this two story building with a structure meant to accommodate dozens if not hundreds of people will completely change the block and the neighborhood. There are no houses taller than 2 stories on either side of the street; every house is a one family residence. The neighborhood residents are mostly of Italian/Russian/Jewish/Irish decent and will not benefit from having a mosque and a Muslim community center. Some neighbors expressed security concerns as well as concerns about increased (again) traffic, noise and decreased parking associated with greater than before police presence.

5) Tax status of the lot in question. According to the DOB, the lot had its tax status changed to "Gas station/Garage". Why? Our neighborhood is 100% residential. It looks like someone is playing games with the zoning in order to get their plans to go through. We are also concerned that the location has both 2812 and 2814 street addresses. Demolition for the site was filed under 2814 but construction is under 2812, therefore not every violation associated with the 2 addresses will be taken into consideration by DOB.

6) Precedents of the same problem. Other mosques in the city are creating just the problems we are trying to avoid. We don't want to end up fighting against "call to prayer" which is what people in Parkchester are doing now. Their neighborhood mosque wants to broadcast loudspeaker calls to prayer that would be heard three blocks from the mosque. The Imam specifically states: "Islam requires us to do adhan," (call to prayer). Following is the link to the article from the Bronx Times:In our neighborhood three blocks will not only encompass private houses, but PS 52 as well. Do we want these calls to be heard inside Public School? Isn't it a violation of our Constitution?

7) Organization behind the project. According to various sources, including Anti-Defamation League, the organization behind the project "has a troubling history of associations with radical organizations and individuals that promote terrorism, anti-Semitism and reject Israel's right to exist". We found the most intriguing facts in the following investigative report from the Chicago Tribune:

Please find some time to read the whole article. It explains how Muslim American Society came out of Muslim Brotherhood and is still associated with the Brotherhood, sharing ideology, goals, leaders and members. We are sure you are aware of the Brotherhood's fundamentalist views, as well as its anti-American, anti-Semitic and World dominance ideas.

8) Shady money trail. According to the MAS web site, the organization is 300K in debt: http://www.masnet.org/donation/donation.htm How can they afford to pay 800K for the first lot, try to buy another one for 600K and still have money for demolition, architects and new construction?

The man who, according to The Department of Buildings, Court records and The Daily News "owns the property and is spearheading the project" is Allowey Ahmed (first name, last name). According to New York City Campaign Finance Board; Mr. Allowey Ahmed donated $175 to one of the political campaigns in the city last year. Mr. Ahmed reported his occupation as "unemployed". This unemployed man has at least 3 properties in Brooklyn and money to build!Mortgage on the property in question was repaid in full last September: How? MAS is in debt and Mr. Ahmed is unemployed.

9) Real estate value. Our community is extremely concerned that everything mentioned above will have a negative effect on property values. Current economical situation makes people worry more than ever about their mortgage payments. If a place of worship is constructed at 2812 Voorhies Avenue, many residents could end up "underwater" on their mortgages. This could have a domino effect resulting in real estate devaluation for the whole area for many years.